The present invention claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P2002-9614 filed in Korea on Feb. 22, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display suitable for a large-sized liquid crystal display.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, recent developments in the information communication field have increased demand for various types of displays devices. In response to this demand, various flat panel type displays such as liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display panel (PDP), electro-luminescent display (ELD), and vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) have been developed to replace conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) devices. In particular, LCD devices have been used because of their high resolution, light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption. In addition, LCD devices have been implemented in mobile devices such as monitors for notebook computers. Furthermore, LCD devices have been developed for monitors of computer and television to receive and display broadcasting signals.
Accordingly, efforts to improve image quality of LCD devices contrast with the benefits of their high resolution, light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption. In order to incorporate LCD devices as a general image display, image quality such as fineness, brightness, large-sized area, for example, must be realized.
A plurality of gate lines are formed along one direction at fixed intervals on the first glass substrate (TFT array substrate), and a plurality of data lines are formed along a second direction perpendicular to one direction of the plurality of gate lines, thereby defining a plurality of pixel regions. Then, a plurality of pixel electrodes are formed in a matrix arrangement at the pixel regions, and a plurality of thin film transistors (TFT) are formed at the pixel regions. Accordingly, the plurality of thin film transistors are switched by signals transmitted along the gate lines and transfer signals transmitted along the data lines to each pixel electrode. In order to prevent light leakage, black matrix films are formed on the second glass substrate (color filter substrate) except at regions of the second glass substrate that correspond to the pixel regions of the first glass substrate.
A process for manufacturing an LCD device using a TFT substrate and a color filter substrate will be described with reference to a manufacturing apparatus according to the related art.
The process for manufacturing an LCD device according to the related art includes steps of forming a sealant pattern on one of a first and second substrate to form an injection inlet, bonding the first and second substrates to each other within a vacuum processing chamber, and injecting liquid crystal material through the injection inlet. In another process of manufacturing an LCD device according to the related art, a liquid crystal dropping method, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-089612 and 11-172903, includes steps of dropping liquid crystal material on a first substrate, arranging a second substrate over the first substrate, and moving the first and second substrates, thereby bonding the first and second substrates to each other. Compared to the liquid crystal injection method, the liquid crystal dropping method is advantageous in that various steps such as, formation of a liquid crystal material injection inlet, injection of the liquid crystal material, and sealing of the injection inlet are unnecessary since the liquid crystal material is predisposed on the first substrate.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show cross sectional views of a substrate bonding device using the liquid crystal dropping method according to the related art. In FIG. 1, the substrate bonding device includes a frame 10, an upper stage 21, a lower stage 22, a sealant dispensor (not shown), a liquid crystal material dispensor 30, a processing chamber includes an upper chamber unit 31 and a lower chamber unit 32, a chamber moving system 40, and a stage moving system 50. The chamber moving system 40 includes a driving motor driven to selectively move the lower chamber unit 32 to a location at which the bonding process is carried out, or to a location at which outflow of the sealant occurs and dropping of the liquid crystal material. The stage moving system 50 includes another driving motor driven to selectively move the upper stage 21 along a vertical direction perpendicular to the upper and lower stages 21 and 22.
A process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device using the substrate assembly device according to the prior art follows. First, a second substrate 52 is loaded upon the upper stage 21, and a first substrate 51 is loaded upon the lower stage 22. Then, the lower chamber unit 32 having the lower stage 22 is moved to a processing location by the chamber moving system 40 for sealant dispensing and liquid crystal material dispensing. Subsequently, the lower chamber unit 32 is moved to a processing location for substrate bonding by the chamber moving system 40. Thereafter, the upper and lower chamber units 31 and 32 are assembled together by the chamber moving system 40 to form a vacuum tight seal, and a pressure in the chamber is reduced by a vacuum generating system (not shown).
Then, the upper stage 21 is moved downwardly by the stage moving system 50 at the above-mentioned vacuum state so as to closely fasten the second substrate 52 fixed to the upper stage 21 to the first substrate 51 fixed to the lower stage 22. Further, the process for bonding the respective substrates to each other is carried out through a continuous pressurization, thereby completing the manufacture of the LCD device.
However, the substrate assembly device according to the prior art is problematic. First, the substrate assembly device according the prior art fails to provide a subsidiary system or device for stable loading of the substrate at the lower stage or unloading the bonded substrates from the lower stage, thereby creating a high probability that damage to the substrate(s) may occur during the loading/unloading process. Specifically, the bonded substrates may adhere to an upper surface of the lower stage during the bonding process. Second, when the bonded substrates are unloaded, central or circumferential portions of the bonded substrates will be free of droop. Specifically, considering that the size of LCD devices are increasing to meet demand, preventing droop during unloading of the bonded substrates is extremely important and necessary.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for manufacturing liquid crystal display devices, method for using the apparatus, and device produced by the method that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device suitable for fabrication of large-scaled LCD devices.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes a unitary vacuum processing chamber, upper and lower stages confronting each other at upper and lower spaces inside the vacuum processing chamber to bond a first and second substrates, and a first substrate lifting system formed in the lower stage for lifting the second substrate.
In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes placing a substrate on a first substrate lifting system by moving the first substrate lifting system along an upward direction, and placing the substrate on an upper surface of a lower stage by moving the first substrate lifting system along a downward direction.
In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes placing a substrate on one of a first and second substrate lifting system by moving the one of the first and second substrate lifting systems along an upward and direction, and placing the substrate on an upper surface of a lower stage by moving the one of the first and second substrate lifting systems along a downward direction.
In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes placing a substrate on a first substrate lifting system by moving the first substrate lifting system along an upward direction, moving a second substrate lifting system along the upward direction to support the substrate together with the second substrate lifting system, and placing the substrate on an upper surface of a lower stage by moving the first and second substrate lifting systems along a downward direction.
In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes placing a substrate on a first substrate lifting system by moving the first substrate lifting system along an upward direction, moving a second substrate lifting system along the upward direction to support the substrate together with the first substrate lifting system, and placing the substrate on an upper surface of a lower stage by moving the first and second substrate lifting systems along a downward direction.
In another aspect, a liquid crystal display device manufactured by a method includes placing a substrate on one of a first and second substrate lifting system by moving the one of the first and second substrate lifting systems along an upward and direction, and placing the substrate on an upper surface of a lower stage by moving the one of the first and second substrate lifting systems along a downward direction.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.